


The World Famous Extraterrestial Diner

by Cock_Zero



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alien Frank, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Diner Worker Gerard, M/M, minor character death (not shown)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-12 13:17:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1186812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cock_Zero/pseuds/Cock_Zero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sure the menu had a picture of literally everything in it, causing the menu itself to be ten pages in total, but that was for the foreign visitors. And not just the ones from other countries, according to the owners.</p><p>Gerard worked at a diner located directly on the famous ‘extraterrestrial highway’. The pictures were more for if any actual aliens ever came by Earth for a good meal and couldn’t speak English. They had the pictures to see exactly what was on offer. Even the beverages had their own separate pictures.</p><p>Not that they had had any extraterrestial visitors since, like, ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The World Famous Extraterrestial Diner

Gerard sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. He wiped down the counter top, checked the time on the clock (not even four in the morning) and frowned.

He was bored. He was always bored at work. But he was especially bored that night. He hated working Friday nights. At least he had the weekend off.

Almost no one came into the diner during his shift. Most normal people were asleep by this time. It was only ever the occasional factory worker or some stoned teenagers who giggled at most of the items on the menu.

It wasn’t even a weird menu. Just standard diner food.

Sure the menu had a picture of literally everything in it, causing the menu itself to be ten pages in total, but that was for the foreign visitors. And not just the ones from other countries, according to the owners.

Gerard worked at a diner located directly on the famous ‘extraterrestrial highway’. The pictures were more for if any actual aliens ever came by Earth for a good meal and couldn’t speak English. They had the pictures to see exactly what was on offer. Even the beverages had their own separate pictures.

Not that they had had any extraterrestial visitors since, like, ever.

Billy, the graveyard shift cook, would disagree with Gerard on that matter, insisting he had served a small group of aliens just last summer. But Gerard knew they had been humans who were just fucking with the staff.

They got that often. At least once a season someone who claimed to be an alien would come in just to be a dick to them.

Gerard hated working those days. They always seemed to come in between ten at night and six in the morning, when he was on shift.

He watched as the only customer for the last hour finished off his burger, dropping the napkin on the plate with a satisfied sigh. 

The man stood, taking his bill to the counter and handing it over to Susan at the register.

The bell over the door chimed softly and Gerard glanced over, seeing a young man standing nervously in the doorway. He slowly moved in, letting the other customer leave, and Gerard grabbed up a menu, walking over to him.

There was a small black item, similar to an earphone or one of those shirt microphones he’d seen TV show hosts wear, clipped to the neck of his sleeveless dark grey shirt. Gerard disregarded it and smiled.

“Welcome. Is it just the one?” he asked and the man nodded. “Would you like a booth or the counter?”

The man licked his lips, looking towards the booths set under the windows. “A booth, please.”

Gerard nodded and extended his arm, walking to a booth in the center of the row. He turned, setting the menu on the table, and the man slid into the seat, folding his hands together and on top of the formica table. “Here you are. My name’s Gerard and I’ll be your server for the evening. Do you know what you’d like to have to drink or would you like a few minutes to look over the menu?”

“A-a few minutes, please,” the man replied, eyes flitting to Gerard’s face.

“Alright, then. I’ll be back shortly,” he smiled. He walked to the recently vacated table, collecting the dishes and taking them to the back. Grabbing a damp cloth, Gerard came back out front, casting a look over to the man and cleaning the table.

He noticed the man’s attire. A light grey coverall, the top open and sleeves tied around his waist, and the dark grey muscle shirt. He wore heavy looking black boots and Gerard wondered if he was a mechanic. His hair was dark brown and shaggy, curling in the odd place around his scruffy face.

In Gerard’s opinion, he was fucking hot, and not to mention his type, but he would never try to hit on a customer. Maybe if he saw him in town one day, but not while he was working.

He was frowning down at the menu, still on the first page, so Gerard knew he was looking at the drinks they served.

Gerard took the cloth to the back, setting it by the sink, and headed to the front, pulling his pad and pen from the pocket on his apron. “So, do you know what you’d like to drink?” he asked, the pen poised over the paper.

“Um, yes.” He saw him frown again, forming the words silently before speaking them aloud. “O-ran-gee juice?” he said, looking up to Gerard.

It took a few seconds but Gerard nodded and wrote ‘orange juice’ on the pad. It was cute how he couldn’t pronounce it but he wasn’t going to point it out. Maybe he was just foreign, from Europe or somewhere similar. “Alright. I’ll give you a few minutes to look over the rest of the menu, okay? Just give me a nod when you’re ready to order.”

The man nodded, smiling softly and turning back to the menu, looking over the pictures and forming the words silently again.

Gerard walked behind the counter, grabbing a chilled glass and filling it with the juice. He took it to the table and sat it in front of the man.

Moving behind the counter again, Gerard tried to find something to keep him occupied while the man read the menu. He heard a phone ringing, the tone not one he was used to, and saw the man pull a cell phone from his pocket. He placed his hand over his neck, where the microphone (or was it an earphone?) was clipped.

When he spoke, it wasn’t a language Gerard had ever heard before, and he had heard nearly every language in the six years he’d worked at the diner. He sounded agitated and tired, rubbing at his eyes and groaning.

Gerard tried to not overhear him, but the restaurant was nearly empty, only three workers and one customer, so he couldn’t do anything but listen. He had no idea what he was talking about but it annoyed him. 

He seemed happy enough when he finally hung up the phone and looked to Gerard, giving him a small nod.

Gerard moved quickly, grabbing his pad and pen out and walking over. “Have you figured out what you’d like?” he asked, smiling politely.

The man frowned and touched the neck of his shirt again. “Sorry?”

“Do you know what you’d like to eat?” Gerard tried, thinking it was the way he asked that was the problem.

The man nodded and pointed at a picture in the menu. 

Gerard leaned over, seeing the meal. It was pancakes, bacon, sausage, hash browns and eggs. He nodded and wrote it down. “And how would you like the eggs cooked?”

He frowned again, shaking his head slightly. “I-I don’t understand.”

“The eggs?” Gerard asked. He turned the menu to the page with separate items, pointing to the eggs. “You can have them sunny side up, over-easy, well done or scrambled.” He pointed to each picture as he said the options, hoping the man would understand.

“Oh, this one,” he said, poking the scrambled picture. “Please.”

Gerard nodded, licking his lip. “Alright. It’ll be a few minutes. Just let me know if you need anything.”

The man smiled and Gerard walked away, turning the order in.

He sat behind the counter, watching the man. His arms were well toned and heavily tattooed. Two female faces stood out on his forearm and Gerard saw writing above them. It wasn’t English. He’d never seen anything like it before. There was a scorpion tattooed high up on his neck and Gerard knew he obviously couldn’t have a ‘normal’ job with it.

He grabbed the plate of food when it was ready, taking a container of maple syrup from the counter, and walked out to him. “Is there anything else you need?” he asked, setting the plate down and the jar behind it.

“No, thank you,” the man said.

Gerard hummed softly, slipping the bill onto the edge of the table and going back to his original spot of people, or person, watching.

No one else came in while the tattooed man ate. He finished his food slowly, not leaving a scrap, and wiped his mouth.

Gerard zoned out, a soft smile on his face so he looked like he was paying attention, as the man stood, taking his bill to the register. He vaguely heard Susan telling him the total and asking if he’d like to leave a tip before he moved to clear the table.

“Gerard, Gerard!” Susan squealed, hurrying over to him as he came out of the back with the damp cloth. “He left you a big tip.”

He blinked, the words not registering in his head. There hadn’t been a tip on the table. “What?”

“Twenty dollars,” she exclaimed, smiling brightly. “I even asked him if he meant twenty percent but he shook his head and asked what the currency is called. When I told him ‘dollars’, he said ‘twenty dollars’. That’s over twice his bill. He was cute, too.”

 _Twenty dollars? Someone had left him a twenty dollar tip?_ “I… what?” he asked again.

“Someone has a crush on our Gerard,” she sang and he heard Billy laughing in the kitchen.

“Go get ‘em, tiger,” Billy grinned through the window.

Gerard felt his face heat up, his ears burning.

~

“See ya Monday,” Gerard called out, waving to Susan and Billy as they climbed into their respective cars. He opened his umbrella, using it to block most of the early morning sun as he started his two mile walk home.

The air was still cool and fresh when he turned into the mobile home park.

It was a very respectable looking place. Well-tended lawns, desert flowers and small cacti lining some residents front paths, a clean ditch out front. Most of the homes were single wide trailers, all in good condition. Some plots were rented out to seasonal residents who lived in motor homes or had a RV hooked to the back of their truck.

Gerard’s one bedroom trailer was situated at the back of the park, far enough from the road that he barely heard the traffic when he slept during the day. He walked up the small path, the rock garden spreading out on either side of the stepping stones, and onto the small porch. 

He was grabbing his keys from his pocket when he heard the dull thud of metal on metal. 

It sounded far away and he looked to the desert behind the park. There was an old warehouse in the distance and he knew teenagers went there to smoke and drink without getting caught by their parents, but it was way past the time they usually went home.

Maybe one of them had gotten injured and was trying to communicate?

Gerard bit his lip, weighing up his options. He could either go inside, have some breakfast and watch TV before falling asleep or he could check to make sure it wasn’t some kid who was near death.

He didn’t think he could live with himself if it actually turned out to be an injured kid. He knew he couldn’t.

He shoved his keys back into his pocket and started for the warehouse.

It took almost twenty minutes to reach the door and he peered inside. He spotted a large machine though the dusty window but couldn’t make out what it was.

The banging came again and Gerard twisted the knob. 

The door opened easily and he quietly stepped inside, gasping at the sight.

It was a ship. A space shuttle, by the look of it. But it looked different than he’d seen in movies or pictures. It was smaller, for one. Much smaller. Maybe only three times the size of his trailer. The outside was black and a door on the side was wide open. He couldn’t see much inside.

When he looked to the front of the ship, he saw the hood was up and a body was leaning over, halfway inside it.

The person grunted, his toes just barely on the ground. 

Gerard recognised the outfit. It was the mechanic from the diner. “H-hello?” he called out.

The man’s head shot up, staring wide eyed at Gerard. He touched the neck of his shirt. “Sorry?”

“Um, d-do you need some help?” he asked, wondering why he touched his shirt.

“Do you know anything about Jaysent Class ships?” 

Gerard frowned, shaking his head. _Jaysent Class ship? Is that what this is?_

“Do you know anything about engines?”

Again, Gerard shook his head.

“Then I’m afraid you can’t,” the man said. He didn’t sound rude, just disappointed. He turned back, poking at something Gerard couldn’t see before leaning over the engine again.

Gerard looked at the ship again, then the man. A switched clicked in his head and he felt like an idiot. “Are you an alien?” he asked, grinning and walking closer.

“A what?” he heard the man asked, voice muffled buy the metal surrounding him.

“An alien. Like, are you not from Earth?” He was excited.

“Is that what this planet is called?” the man asked, finally appearing again. He had a smear of grease on his cheek which he ignored in favour of poking at the unseen object. “I’m from Terra.”

Gerard frowned, thinking. “Isn’t Terra just another way of saying Earth? Or planet? Or something?”

The man shrugged.

“Anyway, what brought you to Earth?” he asked politely, folding his hands behind his back. He was holding back his excitement, in case he was dreaming.

“Engine trouble.” The man pinched his lips, resting his hands on the ship’s front. “I just had the fucking thing checked too and I’m twelve weeks from home.”

Gerard didn’t know if he meant twelve Earth weeks or his own planet’s time. They were silent while the man poked at something again before scratching his head. “Wait,” he started, catching the other’s attention. “If you’re an alien, how can you speak English?”

The man pointed to the thing clipped to his shirt. “Universal translator. Fucking lifesaver, really. And I’m not speaking… what was it? English?”

Gerard nodded.

“I’m speaking my native tongue. The translator lets you understand me and me understand you. It doesn’t work for text though.”

“Is that why you couldn’t pronounce ‘orange’?” he asked, biting his cheek the second it was out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

The man gave him a short scowl, turning and placing his hands on his hips. He had a wrench of some sort in his right hand. “Y’know, it’s not very nice to let someone make a fool of themselves when they can’t pronounce words,” he snipped.

“I’m sorry. It’s just, well… it’s kinda frowned upon to correct someone unless it’s a child learning to speak or something,” Gerard shrugged. He looked to the floor, twisting his foot slightly.

“Why is it frowned upon?” he asked, curious.

Gerard looked back up, seeing the man had set the wrench down and was leaning against the side of the ship. “Well, it’s kinda rude, I guess? Cause the person could just have a mental disability or they’re learning the language.”

The man nodded. “I’m Frank.”

“That’s a very normal sounding name for an alien,” Gerard blurted out. He froze, flushing heavily at his stupidity.

“It’s a fairly normal name on Terra,” Frank shrugged. “But Gerard is something I’ve never heard before.”

“You remembered my name?”

Frank nodded. “Of course. I’m great with names. Not so great with engines though.”

Gerard bit his lip and stepped forward. He looked at the ship again, spotting the weird writing he had seen on Frank’s arm on the side. “So… what does your native tongue sound like?” he asked. He saw Frank moving an arm before he spoke again.

It was the same unusual language he had heard him use at the diner. 

Frank touched the translator again, smiling. “Like that.”

“Wow. So cool.” Gerard stared at him in amazement. “I mean, I can’t understand a damn thing, but it’s really fucking cool. What did you say?”

“You have a nice smile.”

Gerard’s blush came back in full force and he turned away, walking down the side of the ship. He wanted to reach out and touch it but he wasn’t sure if it was safe.

“Are… are you attached to anyone?” Frank asked and Gerard stopped.

“Attached?”

“Family? Do you have family?” Frank corrected himself. Or Gerard assumed he corrected himself.

He shook his head sadly. “No, my family… um, they. They were killed when I was a teenager. It was an earthquake while we lived in California. I-my brother and parents were, um, they were…” He took a breath, letting it out slowly. “I only just made it out alive.” There was a soft hand on his shoulder and he sighed. “It was twelve years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Frank said. His voice was soft and comforting, easing Gerard’s nerves.

He touched the hand on his shoulder and Frank squeezed softly before taking his hand away.

Frank was looking up to him when he turned back around. He hadn’t realised how small he was. He couldn’t have been more than five foot five. “If you’re not attached,” he started, eyes trailing down Gerard’s face before he blinked and looking into his eyes again, “you can come with me? There are other people from this solar system on Terra. Not many, but I’ve heard of a few.”

Gerard felt all air rush from his lungs. “C-come with you?” he asked. Surely, he didn’t hear Frank right. He couldn’t have been offering to take Gerard to another planet. Could he?

“Yes,” Frank said, nodding. “If you want. I’d need to restock my food supply, but it’d be no trouble. You could live with me.”

“Yes,” Gerard heard himself say. He was in shock from the question but he knew he wanted to leave. There was nothing for him on Earth, no one for him. But… would there be something for him on Terra? Would Frank help him? Be with him, even?

He was vaguely aware of Frank’s excited smile before he pulled him into a hug. His arms wrapped around Frank’s shoulders on their own accord.

Frank pulled back, still smiling. “You’re gonna love it! The food might take getting used to on the ship, but back on Terra, the food is amazing. Actually, it’s kinda similar to the stuff your restaurant served. More variety, of course, but the food tasted the same.”

Gerard nodded, finally smiling back at Frank.

“All I have to do is find out the damn engine problem then we can get food and head out,” Frank said, stepping back. “It shouldn’t take too long. My check list is nearly done.” He turned and walked back to the engine, Gerard following him quietly.

He saw the item he had been poking at, a tablet, but the text on the screen was more of that unfamiliar language. “Am I gonna be able to learn the language?” he asked, worried. He hadn’t been very good at foreign languages in school and that was Just French.

“Nah,” Frank said. “You can use my translator. And I’ll get you one for type, too. I just haven’t gotten around to buying one.”

“I-I have money saved up. Would I be able to use it?”

Frank pushed himself up from the engine, pursing his lips. Gerard did not stare at them. “I think the banks can convert it. Not sure though. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.” He ducked down again and Gerard heard metal against metal.

“You said it’s twelve weeks to Terra, right?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest. Frank hummed. “Is that Earth weeks or Terra weeks?”

“Well, before I landed, I had checked the planet’s rotation and orbit on the ships computers and I think they’re only a little different. Terra is much bigger than Earth but it spins faster. I think the days might be a little longer than you’re used to?” he replied.

Gerard nodded to himself. “How far is Terra? In light years?”

“Around nine hundred from here.”

“Nine… nine hundred?” Gerard choked on his breath. “How are we gonna travel nine hundred light years in twelve weeks?”

Frank looked up, pointing to the ship with his wrench. “This isn’t a slow ship. Granted, it’s not one of the elite models, they’d make the journey in less than eight weeks, but it’s still fast.”

Gerard bit his lip. He wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answer, but then again, it was an alien ship. What did he know.

He sat on the floor after a while, just watching Frank, and definitely not staring at his ass when he was bent over the engine. 

It was nearly an hour before Frank finally closed the hood with a pleased look on his face. “All fixed. For now, at least. I’ll have to have my mechanic look it over when we get home.”

 _Home._ The word struck a chord in Gerard’s chest, filling him with a warm sensation.

“We need to get some food stocked. Oh, and you should pack all of the things you wanna bring. We can leave when you’re ready.”

Gerard quickly stood from the concrete floor, groaning and rubbing his ass. “I can come shopping with you. And I need to get to the bank before it closes to empty my account.”

Frank nodded, “I was gonna have you come anyway. I’m not sure which store sells food. I was lucky last night when I found the restaurant.”

~

“Are you sure this is all you’re taking?” Frank asked, lifting a heavy duffle bag to his shoulder like it was a pillow. He had a second duffle, equally heavy, in his other hand by his leg.

Gerard did everything he could to not stare in awe of his strength. He nodded, pulling his backpack on and grabbing the final duffle bag. He groaned under the weight, even though he knew it was the lightest of the three.

“We might be able to come back for more. The ship has more than enough storage space,” he said.

“No, no. This is everything. The rest was actually here when I moved it. I was only renting the place.”

Frank nodded, turning to the open door, and Gerard did a quick mental checklist, making sure he grabbed all of his chargers and comics. Would Terra even have the correct outlets for his things? Would he have to buy a convertor when he got there? Did they even sell them?

When he was sure he had everything, he followed the smaller man outside and into the heat. He had already informed his landlord he was moving out and paid the last month’s bills using some of his savings.

After closing the door and locking it, slipping the key under the mat, Gerard opened his umbrella and walked beside Frank as the made their way back to the warehouse.

“Why the umbrella?” Frank asked, looking over at him.

“To help keep the sun and heat off me,” he answered, keeping his eyes forward.

Frank had already started to sweat, his skin, tattoos, and muscles shining under the sun, and Gerard had to swallow a low moan from the sight.

Frank was definitely his type.

Gerard was panting by the time they reached the warehouse, the inside of the building stiflingly hot. “Too hot,” he whined, trudging to the ship behind Frank.

“Yeah, this planet is crazy. Is it always like this?” He walked up the short ramp and farther inside the ship.

“No,” Gerard said, following him inside. He briefly looked around, noting the metal walls and the small space. There was a door towards the front of the ship and one along the back wall. “It’s… the weather varies depending on where you are. Some places are very mild year round, others have massive jumps from freezing to boiling hot and other are just the one extreme, hot or cold.”

Frank nodded, standing by the door leading back. He set one bag down and opened the door, picking it back up and walking through.

Gerard followed him, stopping in the doorway. “Wow. It’s like a house.”

“Of course,” Frank chuckled. “It would want to be since travel times can be anywhere from a few hours to months or even a year or more,” he explained, walking to a low cabinet.

He opened the cabinet and carefully placed the two bags inside, closing and flipping a lock. 

“The other two can go in here until we’re on course,” he said, motioning for Gerard to come closer.

Gerard moved as quickly as he could and Frank took the duffle bag from his hand, carefully stowing it. Gerard handed over the backpack next and watched as Frank placed it on top of the duffle, closing and locking the cabinet. 

He hadn’t seen the layout of the room when they brought back the food earlier. Frank had shooed him away when they were in the entry room, telling him to go pack and he’d meet him at his place, which they had stopped at before they went into town.

Now, Frank was standing in front of Gerard, peering up at him with a soft smile on his face. “I hope you like Terra,” he said. “I’m glad you’re coming with me. It can get lonely on the ship.”

Gerard looked down between them, cheeks heating up lightly. He saw Frank reach out, his fingers touching Gerard’s gently before he dropped his hand back to his side.

“C’mon. We gotta get to the cabin,” he said and Gerard looked up, nodding quietly.

He followed Frank into the previous room, closing the door to the ship and the one to the living quarters. He turned to the door at the front opening it and walking inside. “Frank?”

He hummed in response, sitting in one of the four chairs. 

“How are we gonna-I mean. Won’t we be seen leaving?”

Frank shook his head, turning the engine on. 

The dash lit up and Gerard saw various screens, all covered in the language he didn’t understand. Some of the screens were projections and really high tech. He watched Frank press a button, or he thought it was a button, on the screen to his right.

“It’s a form of camouflage,” he said. “It’s how I was able to land undetected last night. Don’t worry. No one will see us. Now, you need to sit down and buckle up. Take off can be bumpy for first timers.”

Gerard jumped, rushing to the seat to Frank’s right. He buckled the chest harness and lap belt before gripping the armrests tightly.

“Just relax,” Frank said. He reached over, taking Gerard’s hand in his and squeezing gently. “We’ll be on course in less than an hour then we can go back so I can give you the tour.”

Gerard took a deep breath, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly. When he opened them again, all he could see through the window was the wide blue sky. He didn’t even notice the take-off.

Frank squeezed his hand again, rubbing his thumb over Gerard’s knuckles.

~

“So, this is the main living quarters,” Frank grinned, throwing his arms out to the side. “Down the back side is the bedroom, through the right door, and bathroom, through the left.”

Gerard glanced at the two doors past what looked like a living room, nodding. “Is… is there just the one bedroom?” he asked, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Frank looked worried and Gerard shook his head. “It’s a very big bed,” he said quickly and rubbed his arm. “Like, it’s wider than I am tall.”

“A king size?” 

Frank shrugged. “I guess? Um, but let me show you where everything is.”

He took Gerard’s hand and tugged him along, passed the cabinets that housed his four bags. His hand felt clammy in Frank’s warm one but he tried to ignore the feeling.

Frank showed off the main living and eating area, even going as far as to show Gerard how to work the appliances. When he showed Gerard the bedroom, and Gerard saw that the bed was probably bigger than a king size (it had to have been at least seven foot across), he told him he could put his clothes in the empty drawers along the wall.

There were at least a dozen drawers lining the wall to the left. The ones at the bottom looked like you could fit a body in them. Frank had told him those were for the sheets, covers, and towels.

Another thing Gerard had noticed while Frank gave him the tour was that everything, from the coffee maker to the bed, was bolted down and the cabinets had locks on them. He supposed it was normal since you didn’t want things flying around while you were soaring through space at who knows what speed.

He was sat at the small table, watching Frank stir something in a pot. He said it was meat stew, and it smelled like beef, but it had been a can with the Terra writing on it so Gerard wasn’t entirely sure. He had tried to persuade Frank to make a can of the soup they bought at the grocery store, but Frank insisted on using something he already had. He didn’t want anything to expire, he had said. 

So Gerard had sighed and let him have his way. It was reasonable thinking, at any rate. The food he had already had would have closer expiry dates than the ones they just bought.

“Now, it might taste a little different to what you’re used to,” Frank said, placing a large bowl in front of Gerard, “but I hope you still like it.” He sat opposite him, his own large bowl filled with the steaming stew.

It smelled amazing and Gerard’s mouth started to water. He picked up his spoon and carefully prodded at the meat and vegetables. 

They all looked normal.

Scooping up a small amount, he blew on it and took a bite.

“Wow, that’s really good, actually,” he said, taking another bite.

Frank smiled at him, eating his own stew.

~

Gerard turned the shower off and grabbed the towel on the rack. He rubbed vigorously at his hair before stepping out of the cubicle. 

He determined that that had been the best shower of his life. The water pressure was strong and the temperature was nowhere near as fickle as he was used to. It didn’t even do the ‘turn one eighth of an inch to go from the Antarctic to Mount Doom’. He tested it. A few times.

Drying his body, he looked around the steamy bathroom. It looked fairly normal if a bit more high tech. The shower cubicle was made of sleek black metal posts and clear blue Plexiglas or something similar that Terra used instead. There was a shelf about hip high set into the wall inside the cubicle, Frank’s bathroom products behind the clear door.

The sink and toilet also looked completely normal, even the tube of toothpaste in the covered shelf above the sink was normal.

He would happily admit that he was ecstatic about the normality of the living quarters. He applied a quick spray of deodorant and dressed in his pajamas, flannel pants and a red t-shirt, before stepping out of the room.

Frank was sat on the sofa, looking at his tablet, the thin white thing seeming almost fragile in his hand.

“Um, Frank?” Gerard said, tilting his head to catch his attention.

Frank hummed, inclining his head but not looking over.

“Where does the dirty laundry go?”

He looked up from the tablet and over to Gerard. “Oh, it goes in that bin next to the clothes washer,” he said, pointing towards the kitchen.

Gerard nodded and walked over. He saw the washer and a solid metal counter next to it. Frowning, he looked to the washer again and then to the other side of the counter he stood in front of.

“Here,” Frank said softly.

Gerard stepped back, holding his dirty clothes and the towel to his stomach as Frank placed his fingers under the counter top. He lifted, revealing a wide opening and a small pile of clothes at the bottom. 

“I’m gonna do some washing tomorrow,” he shrugged, embarrassed about the clothes still in the bin.

“I-I can wash my own clothes,” Gerard offered, stepping forward and dropping the clothes inside.

Frank carefully let the lid drop and shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. I don’t mind. I actually kinda like cleaning. It’s relaxing.”

Gerard didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure if Frank expected a reply. 

“You go on to bed,” Frank smiled, touching Gerard’s elbow gently. He pulled his hand back shortly. “I’m gonna have myself a shower soon.”

“Okay,” Gerard replied. He didn’t know why Frank had told him he was going to shower and he was too tired to really question it. He walked off to the door on the right along the back wall, stepping inside and closing it behind him. The bed was calling to him and he hoped it was soft and warm. 

The ship itself seemed to have a set temperature and Gerard figured it was around seventy Fahrenheit but he hadn’t bothered to ask. He had noticed it cooled quickly shortly after they took off and all Gerard could see through the front window was the black of space dotted with pinpricks of starlight. He had wanted to sit and watch the planets go by but Frank said they wouldn’t be passing any on their course. He had pointed out the star they were headed for but Gerard didn’t recognise it. His constant C’s and D’s in science class when they were learning about the solar system and universe were laughing at him.

He climbed into bed, slipping under the warm covers, and let out a contented sigh before drifting off to the soft hum of the ship’s engines.

~

Gerard grunted, rolling over in the bed. He squinted through the dim light.

His bedroom looked different. Completely different.

He sat up quickly, gasping and looking around frantically before realisation hit him.

He was on a space ship. An alien space ship and Frank was taking him to his home planet. 

Letting out a shaky breath, he moved to lie back down when he spotted another body in the bed. Even through the dull light of the room, he could make out the dark markings on his arms. 

And his back.

Frank was shirtless and sleeping in the same bed as Gerard.

He didn’t know why that freaked him out. Frank had told him there was only one bed and they would be sharing it but waking up to see the tattooed (and gorgeous) alien lying only a foot and a half away took his breath away and left him a little terrified.

After a moment of steady breathing, Gerard started to wonder exactly how many tattoos Frank had. He already knew both of his arms were covered with the ink and even the two he had seen on his neck, one each side, but now he was looking at new ones on the top of his back. His eyes adjusted to the light and he carefully and slowly reached out, leaning closer to the sleeping man.

Lifting the thin cover, Gerard saw even more tattoos along his waist. _A tramp stamp. Jesus Christ._

Frank groaned softly, licking his lips and shifting in bed. Gerard dropped the cover, pulling his hands to his chest when Frank turned over, lying on his back, face to Gerard. He seemed to still be fast asleep. There was a large, dark tattoo spreading across his chest and Gerard carefully picked the cover back up, peering under. He saw the waist tattoo went all the way around and he wasn’t sure if it was written in Terra language or some sort of design. The light was too low to make out the details.

But it was just bright enough to see a tattoo on Frank’s left thigh and to show that he was not wearing pants.

 _I’m gonna have an aneurism._ Gerard nearly moaned at the sight of Frank’s body. He let the cover drop again and lied back down, turning to face away from the underwear clad alien. He wasn’t sure if he could take waking up in the middle of the night –day?—and seeing a half-naked Frank in bed with him.

He was just glad that the light was low enough that he couldn’t make out any details about Frank’s body.

He fell back asleep to thoughts of a tattooed body, slick with sweat, and a crooked smile.

~

The room was still dim when Gerard woke again, finally well rested. He could feel a warm, soft breeze fluttering against his back, dulled slightly by his shirt, and a solid object curled behind his body.

Lifting his head just off the pillow, he saw a dark arm slung over his waist and his memories went back to the night before and Frank sleeping in the same bed as him.

The body, Frank, shifted behind him and he felt Frank rubbed his face against his back before his arm tensed and he pushed himself up. He pulled his arm away from Gerard and Gerard cautiously turned over to look up at Frank, watching him yawn and scratch his head and face. “Mornin’,” he hummed, voice thick with sleep.

Gerard bit his lip gently, thinking he sounded cute when he woke up and how he could get used to hearing his morning voice.

“Want some breakfast?” he asked, leaning forward while Gerard sat up next to him. He saw him holding something in his hand. “I have, um. I think you called them eggs? But they’re powdered so I can only make the scrambled kind.”

“Yeah, sure,” Gerard replied and Frank smiled sleepily. _I can definitely get used to seeing that._

Frank slid to the other side of the bed, throwing the cover back, and stood, stretching his arms over his head.

Gerard had to stop just to watch the sight of his muscles shifting under the tattoos. He was being a creeper, he knew it, but Frank was brazenly showing off his body so he’d take advantage of the situation.

From what he could tell, Frank either didn’t mind or notice him watching. He walked to the drawers on the wall, Gerard catching sight of tattoos on his calves, and opened one near the middle.

He briefly saw more ink on the front of his lower legs as Frank pulled on a pair of jeans, (definitely not staring at his ass when he bent over) the knees torn completely out of them. There was even a hole under the right back pocket.

Gerard finally had to look away when Frank threw a t-shirt on, clipping the translator to the neck, and headed out of the bedroom. He got up from the bed after a few minutes, to let his body calm down, and walked out to the main room.

Frank was standing at the counter, a box, large bowl and measuring cup in front of him. He was whisking something, eggs Gerard assumed, in the bowl. “Wondering when you’d get out of bed,” he said playfully. “Thought I’d have to serve you your breakfast there.”

“Um, n-no. I’m sorry. My, uh, my body just had to take a minute to wake up,” Gerard fibbed.

Frank smiled at him over his shoulder before pouring the egg mixture into a black pot and stirring it around with a wooden spoon.

Gerard moved to sit at the table, watching Frank moving along the counter and cooking things. A cup of black coffee was placed in front of him and he smiled. “Thank you.”

“Do you take it as is or… what?” Frank asked, turning back to stir the eggs.

“This is fine,” Gerard answered. He raised the mug, inhaling the bitter scent of the coffee and sighed before taking a short sip.

A few minutes later and Frank was setting a plate in front of him, sliding a fork over before sitting across from Gerard. “I’m not sure what most of the foods on Earth are called or if the translator would work right if I tried to say them so I’ll have to teach you some words if we ever go out to eat.”

“Like on a date?” Gerard asked, spearing what looked like a sausage link with his fork.

“Date?” Frank sounded confused and Gerard realised what he had said. 

He looked to his food, taking a bite and finding out it was in fact sausage.

“What does a day have to do with dinner?” Frank asked. His eyebrows were scrunched together and Gerard thought he looked beyond cute.

“It’s, uh, a date is… Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck and focused on his plate of food. “A date on Earth means three different things, really.”

“Three? Really?”

Gerard nodded, taking a bite of the slightly bland eggs. “Yeah. It can mean the number day of a month, a type of fruit that is native to the Middle East or, like, a day out between two people who are… dating?”

Frank still looked confused.

“Dating, like, they’re a couple. Um, like they’re attached to each other but not related?” he tried.

Frank shook his head for a second before his eyes widened. “Oh! You mean an evening with your mate?”

“Yeah.”

Frank smiled proudly and Gerard chuckled at him.

“So, can you tell me about your tattoos?” Gerard asked when he was nearly done eating. The look Frank gave him told him he didn’t understand. “The markings on your skin. Who are the two ladies?”

“Oh, my grandmothers,” he said, bringing his arm into view and looking fondly at the faces. “Angelina,” he said, pointing to the top portrait, “and Lillian.”

Gerard nodded. His eyes trailed over Frank’s arm, stopping when he spotted something familiar. “Is that Frankenstein?”

“Who?”

He reached over and pointed to the monster inked on the inside of Frank’s arm, finger just hovering over the skin.

“We don’t call him that and-wait. Do they have him here, too?” he asked, leaning forward.

“Well, yeah. He’s a classic science fiction monster. A movie monster,” Gerard said.

Frank looked back to the tattoo and smiled. “Weird.”

~

“What about Terra?” Gerard asked. He was sitting sideways, feet nudging at Frank’s thigh on the other side of the couch. “What’s it like?”

Frank hummed, thinking for a moment. “It’s big. I think the computer said Earth is about seven percent its size. But the atmosphere is the same. Maybe a little bit more oxygen. Um, the land is mostly broken up into large islands and it’s all located around the center of the planet. There’s very little climate change,” he said, rubbing his chin.

They had been on course for over a week and he had still yet to shave his face clean, only trimmed it to keep it neat, and Gerard was trying to focus on his words and not his face.

“The star it orbits is blue and bright and warm. It rains often but never for too long, keeping the land green. I always look forward to going home when I have to travel,” he said fondly.

Gerard smiled softly, bringing his knees to his chest and hugging them. “And the people?”

“Most look like us but there are people from other planets who have animalistic features. They’re all very kind and welcoming.” He let out a soft sigh and they both fell silent.

~

Gerard was sure he was going stir crazy being cooped up in the ship. Frank had announced that they were less than a week away from Terra and he was getting antsy from the wait. Not even reading or drawing was helping anymore.

It wasn’t that Frank wasn’t good company. It was just that Gerard had been noticing Frank making subtle advances over the past eleven weeks and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last before he snapped and tried to kiss him.

He didn’t know if Frank was just being friendly, and if everyone from Terra was like that, or if he was actually interested in Gerard. The touches and looks could be seen as friendly or, at the most, fond, but lustful?

And the sleeping arrangement only served to confuse him even more. Most days, he’d wake up with Frank spooning up close behind him or even himself pressed up against Frank’s back. There had even been one morning he had woken up with Frank curled up against his side, his head on Gerard’s shoulder and a leg thrown over Gerard’s own.

Gerard didn’t want to think about how many times he’d gotten off in the shower to thoughts of Frank’s body pressed against his.

On the upside, Gerard was proud of how much he’d learnt about Terra and its language and customs. He still slipped up on the words, even when he heard Frank saying the English word via the translator, he’d sometimes use the one he’s used to.

Frank had told him it’ll take time and the people will be helpful if he messes up. It was a comforting thought.

He glanced to the other side of the sofa, seeing Frank reading his tablet again. Gerard thought the text looked like a mix of Morse code and maybe half a dozen Asian languages. He hoped the text translator Frank was going to buy would work well enough for Gerard to read new things.

Setting his comic on the coffee table, Gerard slowly slid over, sitting beside Frank. When Frank didn’t respond, he slouched and rested his head on Frank’s shoulder, peering up at him.

Frank’s mouth twitched up to a smile but he kept reading.

Gerard took matters into his own hands. He wanted, _needed_ to know if Frank was interested in him and there was only one way he could think to confirm it.

He sat back up and cupped Frank’s cheek, turning his face towards him before leaning in a kissing him.

Frank responded instantly, pressing into the kiss. His tablet was placed on the armrest of the couch as he wrapped his arms around Gerard’s neck, turning his body to climb into his lap.

Gerard couldn’t believe his luck. He slid his hands around Frank’s waist, playing with the hem of his shirt. Frank licked his lips and Gerard opened his mouth, allowing his tongue in.

Just as Gerard started to really get into the kiss, Frank pulled back, eyes hazy as he slid off Gerard’s lap and dragged him towards the bedroom. He pushed Gerard to the bed and crawled on top of him, reattaching their lips together.

Gerard was quick to grab at Frank’s ass, bucking up against his hips as they kissed. He spread his legs wider, letting Frank get closer.

He wasn’t sure when their clothes came off or who took them off, but the heat of Frank’s bare body rutting against his own was more than enough to let the question fly from his mind. In the back of his mind, he was grateful that Frank’s human like body extended to his genitals as well. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if Frank hadn’t of had a dick but he would have worked with it.

Frank pulled away from the kiss, trailing his lips over to Gerard’s neck, licking and sucking at the skin.

Gerard whimpered and grabbed Frank’s hand, slipping his fingers into his mouth and swirling his tongue over his fingertips. He whined when Frank took his fingers from his mouth, moaning when he kissed him again.

He felt Frank’s hips leave his own and he searched for the lost warmth. Frank’s fingers found his hole, stroking lightly and pulling away from the kiss to hover over Gerard, watching him.

A finger slipped in and Gerard gasped, gripping Frank’s shoulders. A second finger pressed in slowly and he hissed, digging his nails into Frank’s skin.

Frank whispered something in his ear, something in his native tongue, and Gerard moaned at the tone he used.

The fingers slid in easily, stroking and searching for his prostate. They found it quickly and Gerard’s hips canted up. He heard Frank humming something as he touched it again, making Gerard whine. His whole body felt hot, like he was on fire when Frank slowly worked his fingers out.

Frank said something else, his tone low and full of want, and all Gerard could do was nod. 

He didn’t know what he had said or if it was even a question, he just wanted Frank to know he wanted him just as much as Frank wanted him. He watched as Frank grabbed a clear bottle from beside them (when had he gotten that?)and squeezed some of the liquid into his palm before slicking his cock up. Relaxing his body, Gerard winced and gasped when Frank pressed in. It was slick and cold and Gerard whined, scratching at Frank’s back. “Fuck…”

Frank frowned slightly and leaned down, kissing him gently as he slid in farther.

There was only the subtle hint of discomfort covered over by warmth as the lube heated up. He loosened his fingers and pulled Frank into a kiss, feeling him rocking his hips lightly. There were still small shocks of pain coursing through Gerard’s body but he didn’t care. All he cared about was the sounds Frank made. The low moans and pants, the short grunts when he changed his angle, making Gerard cry out when he hit his prostate.

He had propped himself up on his elbows, panting into Gerard’s mouth more than kissing him. 

Gerard’s heels were pressed into the top of his thighs, urging him closer and faster. His nails scratched at Frank’s back and he arched up, trying to get friction on his own cock. He worked a hand onto Frank’s hair, tugging sharply and hearing him moan, loud and guttural, and his dick twitched at the sound.

Frank slipped a hand between them, grasping his cock suddenly and taking Gerard by surprise. 

He let out a whine, tightening his hand in Frank’s hair as he stroked him. Gerard came with a short, loud moan, throwing his head back and bucking his hips up. He didn’t let go of Frank until the aftershocks had gone.

Frank buried his face in Gerard’s neck, mouthing at the skin. He scraped his teeth against the hot skin when he came, groaning and thrusting in a few more times.

Gerard felt warm all over. He blinked up at the ceiling, panting heavily as his vision cleared. He hadn’t noticed when it had blurred to begin with. He grimaced slightly when Frank pulled out, letting his legs slide back down to the bed and kissing him again, slow and lazy.

Frank hummed softly, keeping in body flush with Gerard’s. He whispered against Gerard’s lips and Gerard was far too sated to ask what he had said.

He saw Frank leaning over, grabbing something off the floor, before he heard him speak again. 

“Let’s get cleaned up,” he said, hovering over him, a soft smile on his face.

Gerard nodded and slowly followed Frank out to the bathroom.

~

“Oh, wow,” Gerard gasped. “That’s Terra?”

Frank nodded, touching his hand lightly.

Gerard stared out the window at the planet. It was massive, much bigger than he expected, and so blue it was almost too serene to look at. He saw all the dots of green throughout the center, spreading out on either side of the equator. The star it orbited was just as Frank had described. So bright it looked nearly white and stunning to look at.

“It’s beautiful.”


End file.
